Betula alleghaniensis

Common Name(s):

Golden birch, Yellow birch

Categories:

Native Plants, Trees

Comment:

Yellow birch is a deciduous tree that may grow 70 to 80 feet tall. The leaves are alternate with doubly toothed margins and a pointed tip. The bark on younger trees is shiny bronze and horizontally in thin, papery strips. Older trees have bark with reddish-brown scaly plates. The cone is plump and upright and has many hairy scales that each contain 2-winged nutlets. The twigs smell like wintergreen when broken.

The Yellow birch is a host plant for Mourning Cloak and Dreamy Duskywing butterflies. Many moths also use as a host plant. Seeds are eaten by birds. Northern flying squirrels and northern saw-whet owls use the hollows that often form in this tree as nest sites. Squirrels (flying and red) often use the exfoliating bark to line/insulate their nests.